Just a matter of weeks after Nuno Santo decided to leave his role with Wolves, the Old Gold have a new manager at the helm.
He is Portuguese, he is young and surprise, surprise, he is part of Jorge Mendes’ Gestifute agency.
On the chalkboard
Bruno Lage’s arrival in the Midlands is a timely one as the summer transfer window opens.
He will need to move cautiously in the window with limited finances available to Wolves but deals could be funded by selling the likes of Ruben Neves and Adama Traore.
One area he’ll need to strengthen is in the final third.
Raul Jimenez will be returning from a fractured skull while Willian Jose will likely stay at Real Sociedad after a disappointing one goal loan spell.
Lage brought through the ever-improving genius, Joao Felix, when he was at Benfica but there’s no guaranteeing he can craft Fabio Silva into a similar player.
The solution
With Wolves’ top scorer finding the net on only five occasions last term, it means that Lage needs to delve into Fosun’s coffers and sign a striker.
The Old Gold have been linked with a few faces including Orlando City’s Daryl Dike but it’s Rafael Leao who is one of the most eye-catching targets.
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Reports from Italy last month claimed that both Wolves and Everton were interested in signing the Portuguese forward.
A client of Mendes, Milan could be willing to sell the attacker for a fee between €35m-€40m (£30.2m-£34.5m).
By luring him to Molineux, it could make Lage an instant hit with the supporters. After all, Leao is one of the most talented young players in Europe.
Dubbed the Portuguese Kylian Mbappe, the 22-year-old scored seven goals and registered six assists throughout the current campaign. For context, those numbers usurp every single player at Molineux in 2020/21.
Possessing raw pace, he has the potential to stretch a defence in a similar way to Traore.
Whether the Spaniard departs remains to be seen but contract talks are ongoing and could be influenced by Lage’s arrival.
Leao, who can play on either wing or through the middle, would be a phenomenal replacement if Traore does head for the departure lounge.
Speaking about the Portugal international during his youth days, former striker Rolando Bianchi said: “I had seen him at the U20 World Cup with Portugal and he made spectacular plays. He has great speed, he has a touch of the ball.”
What followed were not only comparisons to Mbappe but also to the great Brazilian striker, Ronaldo Nazario. Leao’s former youth coach, Tiago Fernandes, commented: “I’d say that he reminds me of ‘Fenomeno’ Ronaldo for his pace, technique and the quality of his finishing.”
Leao would be a pricey addition to the Wolves squad but he possesses all of the qualities to thrive in Lage’s attacking system.
This would be a superb way to start his time in the Premier League.